Oracle Unveils Mobile Ordering/Payments Tool

As restaurants deal with a tough labor market, business software company Oracle has debuted a mobile order and pay tool designed to let eateries “serve customers from anywhere.”

The Oracle MICROS Simphony tool is a handheld point-of-sale (POS) and payment device that lets servers place orders and send them to the kitchen in seconds, according to a Wednesday (Nov. 9) news release. It also takes multiple forms of payment, including contactless and mobile wallets.

“Consumer tolerance for wait times is short, and it’s only exacerbated by tight labor conditions,” said Simon de Montfort Walker, senior vice president and general manager of Oracle Food and Beverage, in the release. “Operators need to improve service times and overall efficiency — a mobile-first strategy can do just that while simultaneously improving the customer experience.”

Earlier this year, Oracle debuted the Oracle Food and Beverage Payment Cloud Service, which allows restaurants to take debit and credit cards, as well as tools such as Apple Pay, Google Pay and Samsung Pay.

As PYMNTS research has found, restaurant customers — especially those of the grab-and-go variety — tend to flock to eateries that offer more technology.

For example, more than half of the diners PYMNTS surveyed said having QR codes in place of a physical menu has a positive impact on their restaurant experience. And 58% said that having more technology inside a restaurant creates a better dining experience.

PYMNTS also reported last month that restaurants’ labor challenges have become so intense that many have begun turning away would-be customers, sacrificing sales opportunities and potentially putting the goodwill of loyal diners at risk.

According to the 2022 edition of PYMNTS’ Restaurant Readiness Index, based on a survey of more than 500 managers of quick-service restaurants (QSRs) and full-service restaurants (FSRs) nationwide, 19% of restaurants said they have had to turn away customers in the face of labor difficulties.